Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yotasha’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yotasha’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full appearance; uniform and freely flowering habit; small daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; ray florets initially yellow becoming bronze-colored with development; bright yellow-colored disc florets; natural season flowering in mid-October in the Northern Hemisphere; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yotasha.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yotasha’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in October, 1999 in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Alcala, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,211, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number 97-L002, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in November, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yotasha has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yotasha’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yotasha’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped         ray florets.     -   5. Ray florets initially yellow becoming bronze-colored with         development; bright yellow-colored disc florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid-October in the Northern         Hemisphere.     -   7. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Alcala, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of         the cultivar Alcala.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two or three         days later than plants of the cultivar Alcala.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Alcala         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Alcala had dark pink-colored florets.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the proprietary seedling selection identified as code number 97-L002, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one month         later than plants of the male parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the male parent         selection had white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yogabriella, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,762. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yogabriella in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact and more         rounded than plants of the cultivar Yogabriella.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two to four         weeks later than plants of the cultivar Yogabriella.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in         color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yogabriella.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Gedi One Sap, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,731. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Gedi One Sap in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Gedi         One Sap.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about ten days         earlier than plants of the cultivar Gedi One Sap.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum resisted         fading better than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Gedi         One Sap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yotasha’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Yotasha’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and fall in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July. During the production of the plants, plants were exposed to natural season photoperiodic conditions with day temperatures averaging 26° C. and night averaging 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yotasha. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Alcala, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,211.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary             Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as             code number 97-L002, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, year-round.—About four days at 21°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, year-round.—About ten to             twelve days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous daisy-type             garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with mounded crown;             rounded plant habit. Stems initially upright, then outwardly             spreading. Freely branching with lateral branches             potentially developing at every node. Moderately vigorous to             vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 34 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About             4.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 3.8 cm. Width: About 2.7 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate to truncate. Margin: Palmately and deeply lobed;             sinuses parallel to divergent. Texture, upper and lower             aurfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper             surface: More green than 147A. Developing foliage, lower             surface: More green than 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: More green than 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to             147A to 147B. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B.             Petiole: Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 146A to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright or outwardly. Inflorescences slightly cupped.             Uniform and freely flowering; about 22 inflorescences             develop per lateral branch. Inflorescences persistent.             Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-October in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             4.5 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Close to 147A to 146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.75 cm. Depth( height):             About 1.7 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 5 mm. Receptacle height: About 4.5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.9 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 3 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Apex:             Emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Surface: Concave to flat. Orientation: Initiallly             upright, then curved upright. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 35 in about two to three whorls. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 6A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 6C to 6D. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 6A to 6C overlain with 59A. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 6C to 6D faintly underlain with 59A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 4.5 mm. Width, apex: About 2 mm. Width, base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             Numerous. Color: Immature: Close to 9A to 12A. Mature: Apex:             Close to 12A. Mid-section: Close to 144A. Base: Close to             155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24. Length:             About 5.5 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 147A to 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.8 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 5.8 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 9 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45 to             50° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: 9A to 12A. Pollen: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 15A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc             florets.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be have good garden performance and to be tolerant to     rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to greater than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yotasha’, as illustrated and described. 